Op-ed “Nord Stream: The Sequel” by C.K. Chyong and D. Reiner

Chi Kong Chyong and David Reiner published an article “Nord Stream: The Sequel” on 12 August 2015 in EUobserver, an independent online newspaper covering EU affairs and based in Brussels.

“The proposal to expand Nord Stream comes amid difficult negotiations on Turkish Stream, which, in December, replaced South Stream as the main transit proposal for Southern Europe and which is designed to further weaken Ukraine.

Gazprom is in dire need of direct access to trading hubs in north-western Europe, as its old business model – ‘from wellhead to burner tip’ – is no longer fit for purpose and is detrimental to its market position in Europe.

The economics of the Nord Stream route may also help Gazprom to rationalise its export strategy in Europe and convince its masters in the Kremlin not to turn it into an old-style Soviet ministry of gas”.